The sheets of heavy rain, the strong wind and the roar of thunder made conversation difficult. I walked Indian-fashion behind the Factor who took enormous strides and appeared to know every inch of the way in spite of the darkness.
We walked only a short distance down the village street and then struck into a side road which very soon dwindled to a foot path made slippery and treacherous by the driving rain.
Abruptly the path began to ascend; the footing became more precarious. It was at once necessary to concentrate all one’s attention on one’s feet. Fortunately, the flashes of lightning were frequent.
It seemed to me that we had been walking for an hour—actually, I suppose, it was only a few minutes—when the Factor finally stopped.
I found myself standing beside him on a flat rocky p
